Security dealers provide security systems to protect people's lives and property. There are various segments to the security business market ranging from high end installations to basic, low-cost solutions. A basic, low-cost solution is usually offered to a consumer at a cost lower than the cost of security equipment with the expectation that the cost will be recovered via a monthly monitoring fee. Problems arise when a competing security dealer offers the consumer a lower monthly monitoring fee and “takes over” the installed security equipment.
“Taking over” a security system saves the competitor the time and expense of installing the security system. The process of “taking over” the security system involves removing an existing control panel, installing a new control panel, and configuring the control panel to accept signals from existing security sensors. Hence, the savings are realized by the reuse of the existing sensors that were provided by the original security dealer.